The CNC Toolkit enables creative and effective use of multi-axis computer controlled machinery.
It does this by taking advantage of 3D Studio Max's (and its variants, including GMAX which is free) ability to model the kinematics of complex mechanical systems. The source code is freely available under the GPL licence if you wish to develop your own modules and post-processors.

Sunday, 4 December 2011

How to carve an uneven surface while preserving an existing surface texture.

I've just finished a commemorative plaque for a great local malt whisky bar using an old and uneven lid from a whisky cask. Normally I'd just machine flatten the surface and v-carve it, however that would have spoiled the aged look and feel of the wood. The level of height difference here would have meant some letters being cut too deep and others not cut at all using the original v-cut toolpath.

There's a description below of this project and how to match a CNC toolpath to an uneven surface using by digitizing the surface and wrapping the toolpath to it using some free, open-source plugin MaxScripts I developed (CNC Toolkit and Wrapper) for 3DS MAX. The method is equally useful for 4 and 5-axis CNC machining.